Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. Has $4.26 Million Holdings in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR)

Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. grew its position in Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR - Free Report) by 29.4% during the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 17,873 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,056 shares during the period. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc.'s holdings in Marriott International were worth $4,257,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Straightline Group LLC acquired a new stake in Marriott International in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $495,000. NewEdge Wealth LLC increased its position in Marriott International by 34.4% during the fourth quarter. NewEdge Wealth LLC now owns 4,345 shares of the company's stock worth $1,212,000 after acquiring an additional 1,112 shares during the period. Markel Group Inc. raised its stake in Marriott International by 30.6% during the 4th quarter. Markel Group Inc. now owns 47,000 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,110,000 after purchasing an additional 11,000 shares during the last quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. boosted its holdings in Marriott International by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 1,477,619 shares of the company's stock valued at $412,167,000 after purchasing an additional 32,288 shares during the period. Finally, JPL Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Marriott International during the 4th quarter worth about $463,000. 70.70% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have recently weighed in on MAR shares. Dbs Bank upgraded shares of Marriott International from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 14th. BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on Marriott International from $250.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a "market perform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 7th. Melius Research upgraded Marriott International to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 21st. Susquehanna upped their price target on Marriott International from $255.00 to $285.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company reduced their target price on Marriott International from $285.00 to $277.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, February 18th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, seven have assigned a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $275.15.

Insider Activity at Marriott International

In other Marriott International news, CEO Anthony Capuano sold 12,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $263.90, for a total transaction of $3,166,800.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 124,067 shares in the company, valued at $32,741,281.30. This trade represents a 8.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Benjamin T. Breland sold 1,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $270.21, for a total value of $270,210.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 20,724 shares in the company, valued at $5,599,832.04. The trade was a 4.60% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. 10.68% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Marriott International Price Performance

Shares of MAR traded down $2.12 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $259.81. 1,188,803 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,605,319. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $244.40 and a 200 day simple moving average of $265.82. The company has a market cap of $71.16 billion, a PE ratio of 31.23, a P/E/G ratio of 3.42 and a beta of 1.42. Marriott International, Inc. has a 52 week low of $204.55 and a 52 week high of $307.52.

Marriott International (NASDAQ:MAR - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 6th. The company reported $2.32 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.25 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.19 billion. Marriott International had a net margin of 9.46% and a negative return on equity of 116.67%. The company's revenue was up 4.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $2.13 EPS. On average, analysts anticipate that Marriott International, Inc. will post 10.1 earnings per share for the current year.

Marriott International Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Investors of record on Friday, May 23rd will be issued a dividend of $0.67 per share. This represents a $2.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.03%. This is an increase from Marriott International's previous quarterly dividend of $0.63. The ex-dividend date is Friday, May 23rd. Marriott International's payout ratio is presently 30.52%.

Marriott International Profile

Marriott International, Inc engages in operating, franchising, and licensing hotel, residential, timeshare, and other lodging properties worldwide. It operates its properties under the JW Marriott, The Ritz-Carlton, The Luxury Collection, W Hotels, St. Regis, EDITION, Bvlgari, Marriott Hotels, Sheraton, Westin, Autograph Collection, Renaissance Hotels, Le Méridien, Delta Hotels by Marriott, Tribute Portfolio, Gaylord Hotels, Design Hotels, Marriott Executive Apartments, Apartments by Marriott Bonvoy, Courtyard by Marriott, Fairfield by Marriott, Residence Inn by Marriott, SpringHill Suites by Marriott, Four Points by Sheraton, TownePlace Suites by Marriott, Aloft Hotels, AC Hotels by Marriott, Moxy Hotels, Element Hotels, Protea Hotels by Marriott, City Express by Marriott, and St.